Hubbard: Pay gap threatens social justice

By Casey Seiler

ALBANY — Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard told a panel of Senate Democrats that the growing gap between rich and poor in New York state and across the nation runs the risk of undoing decades of social justice gains.

The bishop joined other progressive faith leaders as the first set of witnesses at a forum Wednesday for supporters of a state minimum wage hike.

“We are currently witnessing a massive transfer of wealth from a once-vast working middle class to very few rich,” said Hubbard, speaking in his role as co-chair of the New York Labor-Religion Coalition.

The bishop joined other progressive faith leaders as the first set of witnesses at a forum Wednesday for supporters of a state minimum wage hike.

The minimum wage in New York is $7.25 an hour. Assembly Democrats have introduced a proposal to boost it to $8.50 and index it to the rate of inflation

Sen. Adriano Espaillat, D-Manhattan/Bronx, has offered a more generous proposal that would raise the minimum to $8.50 in 2013 and $9.25 in 2014, and index future boosts to inflation.

The Senate Democrats decided to hold a forum on the proposal after majority Republicans blocked their petition seeking a formal legislative hearing — a strategy and counter-strategy the conferences have enacted on previous battles over ethics and redistricting reform.

As a result, the gathering was mostly preaching to the converted. Witnesses ranged from Matt Funiciello of Rock Hill Bake House in Glens Falls, who said most business owners he knew had trouble finding workers willing to work bare minimum wage, as well as advocates from Make the Road NY, Hunger Action Network and other groups.

Talking with reporters before the forum, Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos didn’t signal a change in his opposition to a wage hike.

“I believe it’s a job killer,” Skelos said after addressing a gathering of the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

“We are still in very difficult economic times. When you raise the minimum wage it has a bumping effect, because the person just above who’s just above minimum wage says, ‘If he’s getting a buck and a half (raise), I want a buck and a half.'”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has not weighed in on either the Assembly proposal or the Senate alternative.